A Variable Coincidence
by luckyaikou
Summary: In the middle of the night, it's hard for Joey not to be bitter. But when he wakes up to chaos, he just doesn't seem to be able to deal. Shounenai.


A/N: When I originally thought this up I had a very fluffy ending in mind. But my roommate read it while in-progress and said, "They either have to end up together, or have a pretty damn good reason for staying apart." So I wrote on, and this is how it happened.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

Joey watched the flickering light of his low-quality TV bounce off his golden hair in the dark, not hearing the program at all.

It was about Kaiba again. He had a live press conference in the morning. Always Kaiba, and his little girlfriend. A blonde. But really, what choice did the CEO have after years and years of leaked information of him with a recurring blond date?

Joey made a face as she was shown up close, smiling in the shadow of who used to be Domino's most eligible bachelor- at least to the public. But in the privacy of his own world, Kaiba had spent the majority of his years after high school dating, living with, and falling head over heels for Joey Wheeler.

The blond cast a glance over his shoulder to the sleeping form in his bed; a cute boy he had been seeing for the last couple of months, in the almost-year-long wake of Kaiba breaking it off.

He sighed as the conversation played in his head. When he had been living with Kaiba, he had fooled himself into thinking maybe the conversation would never happen, or would go differently.

"I'm the CEO of the largest gaming company in the world," he would say. "No amount of public outcry would hurt me. Stay with me, Joey, and everything else be damned!"

Joey almost laughed at the thought now, the thought of his blind trust in the eldest Kaiba brother made him feel a special brand of stupid. Of course that's not how it would go. Kaiba had spent his entire life being groomed to take over Kaiba Corp- to lust after it and money. There's no way the honey colored eyes of one high school nuisance could change him, no matter how many years he spent in the other's bed.

"I'm the CEO of the largest gaming company in the world," he said. "And I can't risk the company, no matter what. I have to think about Mokuba, and my clients. Even if that means I have to forget about myself."

Joey had spent so many days alone, crying, sitting and staring at the wall of his empty new apartment. His friends would knock, the same friends he had convinced to give Kaiba a chance, and for him to do the same. But he never let them in, content to let them knock for a while before leaving.

He would be alone while Kaiba was alone, so the other knew what he had done. But of course, that asshole, that insufferable spoiled brat, showed up not even a month after he had broken up with Joey at the hottest restaurant in town with a slim blonde girl in tow.

Joey gripped his hands into fists at the thought, the wrenching feeling in his chest reminding him Kaiba should have remembered to take the beating heart with him when he left.

Why did Joey always have to suffer, while Kaiba got to live easily and with no emotion? It wasn't fair. After so many years together, after all the shades of Kaiba he had seen, he was hard pressed to believe any of it was the truth.

In the late hour of the night, simply telling Kaiba he was an asshole wasn't enough. He swept up his phone, and typed out a short message: "Last night was amazing. Miss you already. 3 -Joe."

Kaiba at least deserved to be alone if Joey couldn't make him miserable. He stared at the "Send" icon for a minute, resolved to repeatedly text it to him until the girl was bound to see one.

As his excitement built, he remembered the face of the person he was dealing with: Seto Kaiba. Even if the text said the most horrendously nasty thing, his expression wouldn't change. And he would simply delete the text or block Joey's number before another came around.

He sighed and let his phone drop on his nightstand with a loud "thunk!" not bothering to clear the message.

Joey resolved in that night he would always be miserable, just as Kaiba would always be untouchable.

"You bastard!"

Joey woke up swiftly to the shrill cry, and something glass shattered against the wall next to his bed. He looked up to see his boyfriend tearing up his apartment, vehemently crying and yelling.

"Mark, MARK!" Joey yelled, getting up and dodging an increased amount of projectiles. "What the hell!"

"How could you cheat on me with that DOUCHEBAG!" Mark screamed.

Joey quickly realized what must have happened, and swore at his own late-night stupidity.

"Mark, I swear, I never did that! I just-" he cut himself off as he avoided another shot at him. "It was just a joke, I wanted to upset him, that's all! I didn't even send it!"

Mark stopped and laughed, making the most incredulous face he could muster. "Yeah, I know, because I sent it. During his little speech this morning while his girlfriend had the phone. And you know, Joseph, if it wasn't true why did she flip her shit- LIVE, in front of the world. But that's not all, that asshole didn't deny her. He didn't try and cover it up right away. As soon as your name left her lips, he shut up and calmly called off the meeting and followed her. She's clearing out her stuff from the mansion now. So tell me Joey, why would you ruin her life for a little joke? And why would he let it happen? Don't tell me you didn't do it Joey!"

Joey's mind kicked into over drive and dulled the sounds of Mark trashing more of his apartment and getting his single bag together. He was pretty damn sure he hadn't had sex with Kaiba. But why hadn't Kaiba stop her? Why had he let it happen?

Maybe he was using Joey for an out. Maybe he wanted her gone and was just going to squash the accusations later.

And maybe... Just maybe...

Joey shook himself out of his thoughts as Mark slammed the door in his departure. Silence filled the room quickly, pressing in on Joey. He realized his TV was muted but on, showing reruns of the, indeed, meltdown of Kaiba's girlfriend, as well as feed claiming she had just left the manor for good.

The immediate change should have been overwhelming for him, but the calm was a nice surprise. Maybe it was the extreme intimacy in the knowledge that he and Kaiba were both alone now.

... And that if he ever saw him, he was pretty sure Kaiba would kill him.

A heavy buzzing cut into Joey's silence and he spent the next few moments shifting through the wreckage to find his phone, surprisingly, in one piece. It was a wonder why Mark didn't smash it in his tantrum.

Joey saw he had received several texts, none from Kaiba, but all from his friends, whom he had long since reconciled with after his previous period of seclusion. Tristan was pissed; Yugi was politely concerned while Yami was more outspokenly upset.

Joey considered momentarily if he was in shock, because he found himself increasingly unmotivated to think about the situation. Instead he navigated through the mess like it had been there his whole life, starting his day like it hadn't been the strangest series of the weirdest events.

He cleaned himself up, drank coffee, and for once his mind wasn't whirling over Kaiba. He just... was. He was dazed and he was silent for what felt like a lifetime.

Sounds started to hit him as if he were underwater and starting to approach the surface. They were deafened but increasing, coming closer and intruding in faster intervals.

Joey made it to his front window in time to see Kaiba step out of his Lamborghini, surrounded by people with microphones and cameras, pouring out of their vans around him. Kaiba swiftly walked through their mass, ignoring them and heading straight toward Joey's complex, without looking up or acknowledging them at all.

Joey knew what was coming. He knew Kaiba was there to insight his wrath on him, and the paparazzi were only going to be accessories to murder. And yet as Kaiba knocked stiffly on his door, Joey continued riding his dazed confidence to open the door wide, shirt unbuttoned and coffee in hand as the noise came crashing into his apartment, threatening to knock him over.

But Kaiba knew better than to let Joey stand there wide-eyed in the door way, so he grabbed Joey's arm with enough force to hold him up and carefully pushed him back so they stepped into the apartment. And in that brief moment of contact, Joey's calm broke and reality swept over him in waves of unadulterated consequences. Joey's coffee mug fell and shattered on the concrete outside just as Kaiba shut the door.

They were in the front hall, the destroyed house out of Kaiba's sight for now. Between the white walls stood the two boys, staring at each other; and Kaiba's face screwed up in annoyance. Joey could feel the adrenaline he'd been ignoring all morning pound through his body as Kaiba exhaled heavily.

"You know, if you missed me you could have been a little more tactful."

Joey had actually winced in anticipation of the older boy's statement, but opened one eye at the almost-tender offer. A warmth spread across his cheeks as he met Kaiba's steady gaze, a commodity he had taken for granted. He tore his eyes from the other and looked at the floor determinedly.

"I didn't mean for that to get sent." He was met with silence, and after a moment he looked up again to find that Kaiba had left the hall and turned on the light in the kitchen, making himself coffee. "Kaiba?"

He was facing away from Joey, but he could still see the man visibly tense at the use of his surname. It lasted maybe a second, but Joey had played the game before. "Since I'm already here, I don't see the harm in being told a story. I would suggest the living room, but it seems Mark really did a number on this place."

Joey shrugged in agreement before he narrowed his eyes at Kaiba. "How do you know about him?"

Kaiba simply looked at him over the rim of his mug as he drank, his eyes betraying none of the amusement or smugness Joey knew Kaiba to hold there. "I have everyone followed, you know that. I need to know if someone I have associated with gets caught up in something that would be bad for my reputation."

Joey rolled his eyes, knowing this was as close to the truth he was going to get. He had long gotten over the idea being told, "I have you tailed because I care, and I worry when you're not here."

"Yeah, well, are your maids busy cleanin' all the shit YOUR girlfriend broke on her way out?" Joey tried biting back.

Kaiba scoffed. "When she got to the mansion Roland had all of her belongings packed and she was escorted directly off the premise; as if I would let her loose in my house after her behavior at the conference."

Joey shifted guiltily, and realized he had been right to not want the text sent; Stone Face wouldn't budge for the world.

Kaiba cleared his throat. "I believe that's where you come in."

Joey pulled on the ends of his sleeves to avoid eye contact and realized his shirt was still open. After hastily buttoning it up, he finally looked up with a red face. "I really never meant for you to get that text. I had typed it out, and when Mark saw it in the morning-"

"Why did you write it at all?" Kaiba asked.

Joey blinked at the lack of accusation in the question. "I… um…" He sighed, "The news was talking about you last night, they always fuckin' do… You and your girlfriend. It just… dredged up a lot of memories that pissed me off."

"Such as?" Kaiba pried. "What memories?"

Joey glared up at the taller man in annoyance. "Of you breakin' up with me and then turning up with some random girl you've never met and lettin' her hang all over you for the press!" He took a couple of steps backward to lean against the counter and took a deep breath. "And it's always hurt that I was never good enough for you to take out in front of the camera. So I thought…"

"That if I got left alone, it wouldn't hurt so badly, right?"

"It… seemed much more impressive at three in the morning…"

"I take it you still don't sleep well when it rains."

Joey blanched at the secret he had confided in Seto, only Seto, so casually being aired again after all this time. He moved and stood next to Joey, being mindful of not getting too close.

"You tell me your story, and then I'll tell you mine," Kaiba sighed, then redirected the conversation. "So how did the message get sent?"

"Oh, um… I was actually asleep when it happened. I guess I forgot to clear it after I decided to not send it, and Mark found it when he woke up. He saw you giving your speech, and sent it. Then he wrecked my house and woke me up. When I told him it wasn't true, he told me what had happened, and I obviously didn't have any more answers. So he left."

"Hm, too bad. Did you like him?"

Joey nodded a little, "He's a nice guy. I hope he doesn't start hating people because I fucked up."

Kaiba was only silent for a moment as Joey contemplated his guilt. Then Kaiba was pushing something into Joey's hands, and he looked down to see a new cup of coffee before Kaiba settled back into his position leaning next to Joey- maybe infinitesimally closer.

"Hanna's probably happy this happened," Kaiba started speaking slowly, as he usually did. Joey could never tell if it was because of his cryptic personality or if he was weighing each statement for emotional effect. "She's been getting more annoying about my work schedule in the last few months. But that's why I chose her; she's young and impressionable and has a tendency to throw herself into whatever's making the headlines at the time. That, and she's-"

"Blonde," Joey finished for him, with a brief smile. "I figured that much out for myself. But I don't get the rest of it."

Kaiba shrugged, turning his head to look at something else in the room. The movement would have been cold if it weren't for the warm coffee in Joey's hands. "You of all people should know that my social skills that even border with the intimate are nondescript at best. That doesn't negate the hordes of girls who believe otherwise, however."

Joey furrowed his eyebrows. "Why did you need her around anyway? I mean, why couldn't you have just been alone?" He looked down back to his hands. "Especially if she didn't mean anything."

Kaiba sighed and shifted a little, and Joey could feel the discomfort in his action. "For the last few months we were together, there had been more and more suspicions about us floating around the public, popular media aside. It started coming up when I was working with other businesses and potential partners. So I broke it off, and that really seemed to only make me look worse. So I found Hanna."

"My guess is that you were an even bigger jerk, that was the tip-off," Joey said off-handedly, catching the angry blue eyes of Kaiba for a moment before he turned away. "But that's great and all, Kaiba, I'm super glad to hear that the relationship I just ruined was a farce anyway. It doesn't change the fact that you cared so much for your company that you forgot to care about me." Joey pushed away from the counter, leaving the coffee and Kaiba on the other side of the kitchen before stopping again, anticipating Kaiba's already-opening mouth to argue. "And don't think that today's stunt is enough. Yeah, you let her drop my name in front of a million people and then drove all the way over here even though you knew it was a mistake. So what? If YOU had really missed me that much, you could have been more tactful, rather than making both of us look like assholes."

"Joey, wait," Kaiba pushed in front of him, stopping him from storming through the hallway. "You're right, there are a lot of different ways I could have handled this that would have been better, but I was every bit as disarmed as Hanna was when she got that text. Yes, there was a chance it hadn't been you at all, but it would at least give me an excuse to see you again."

Joey started laughing, shaking his head. "Oh yeah, the GREAT Seto Kaiba couldn't muster up the courage to see his mangy ex, I believe it."

Kaiba screwed up his face in a short breach of emotion; embarrassment and anger flashing across his cheeks. "Was I just supposed to assume that you would be wallowing around and missing me rather than hating me?"

"I DO hate you, you arrogant dick!"

"Bullshit, Joey."

The heated emotion fell from the two boys after it had filled the room, leaving them feeling distant and detached. Joey shifted, his cheeks red and with Kaiba's eyes still on him.

"Well," Joey spoke softly. "You said it yourself. This was a convenient move. We both know you're not ready to walk out of here with me in front of all those cameras." Joey met Kaiba's gaze evenly, trying not to give in to all the subtle pleadings from the other.

"Joey…"

"I'm not saying no," Joey said, reaching out and squeezing Kaiba's forearm a little. "Just not yet. You need to do this on your terms, not mine."

Joey could almost see the tension release from Kaiba's posture and face, and for the next minute he resembled the man that was reserved for him and Mokuba alone, the rare and elusive Seto.

"Don't expect to wait long. I wouldn't even bother cleaning up."

Joey smiled. "Don't worry, Kaiba. Cheaters only deserve other cheaters, right?"

Kaiba grinned, a sideways smirk that others misread. "Right."

Joey stepped out of his way and Kaiba walked toward the door with less hesitation than he had entered the apartment with. With his hand on the handle, he paused and turned his head to look at Joey one more time, the blond still smiling.

And after that, Kaiba opened the door and shut it again before more than one camera flash hit Joey's eyes. Joey knew Kaiba wouldn't look up, wouldn't betray the grin in his eyes, before he got back into his car and drove far away from the mediocre complex.

Joey let his back hit the white wall and slowly slid down until he was sitting with his knees to his chest. He was beaming at the warm feeling left on his fingertips from the brief, reassuring touch he had given Kaiba.

Or maybe it was from the coffee cup. Joey could never tell.


End file.
